Working in radio, we spend a lot of time worrying about two things: coverage and overspill. Getting coverage of a building is the core objective of the DeafWatch system and achieving coverage can often be a challenge.

Concrete buildings reinforced with meshed rebar steel and metre thick floor or walls can cause several difficulties. We’ve even enjoyed covering a military training centre with two-centimetre thick hardened steel on every surface. Our customers do like to set us problems to solve!

We like a challenge here at Wireless Alert, it’s why we’ve designed and built the most powerful fire alarm paging system for Deaf people in the market. With the right output, the right licence and the right antenna, we have cracked all but a handful of buildings with just a single transmitter.

With great power comes great responsibility, however, and we take our responsibilities with signal and overspill very seriously.

To explain, overspill is the consequence of the fact that buildings aren’t a perfect circle with a perfect distribution of dense building materials, interference generating electronic devices and moving people throughout. If only they were.

As a result, ensuring complete radio coverage of a building is very much about putting a square peg in a round hole. Or more accurately it is about trying to cover every part of a complex building while minimising the radio that escapes that building. And most buildings are small but tall, or a semi-circle, or a cluster of different houses right on top of each other.

You can do quite a lot. With our unit we can put it anywhere in the building, adjust the signal to an appropriate output and use complicated antennas to minimise this overspill and focus the signal where you really want it.

The problem is that for every concrete wall the signal must get through, there’s an open window which will let the signal fly. This wouldn’t be such a problem if there weren’t people in the market saying that overspill is a huge problem (it isn’t) and untruthfully saying that only they have the solution (thus defying the laws of physics). This tends to confuse customers. Scooby Doo scare tactics and magical thinking can do that.

To put it simply, having poor signal within a building is the norm. Your phone in your pocket proves that. Providing complete coverage is 90% science and 10% art. And when we say art, we mean the practiced workmanship of knowledge built up over decades on radio behaviour on a specific frequency within and between a variety of complex and varied building constructions.

So if someone starts talking about how they can “minimise the overspill and sculpt the signal to the building” take a pause. So much can be done, but within reason. You cannot break E=MC2, Einstein won’t be happy.

And next time you can hear the fire alarm for the building next door and see the people walking out in the street. Think of our Deaf users, who have a vibrating message saying, “FIRE ALARM GEOGRAPHY BUILDING – EVACUATE TO ZONE 2: LIBRARY SQUARE”.

They are the evacuees leading everyone to the correct evacuation point. And we think that’s better than just a siren.

There is only so much self-improvement you can make before you might have to admit that it’s not actually you, maybe it’s the job? If you find that you are just going through the motions at work, or even worse, it has become an unpleasant place to be, it is possibly time to look elsewhere.

Is free-time the time you spend compensating, self-medicating and treating yourself just because work is what you do to do the things you enjoy … rather than what you enjoy? If it is, then perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate.

As a Japanese speaker, I’ve long been familiar with the Japanese notion of Ikigai. This is a very simple self-test to establish whether you have “job compatibility”, and to discover if you might be, in fact, in completely the wrong line of work.

1. Do you love doing the actual work? Does it feel good? Being able to look forward to work makes a difference in your attitude and that of others. A positive mindset leads to positive interactions and can enthuse your colleagues and your customers.

2. Are you good at your job? Half of the challenge of enjoying something is being good at something. If you are good at what you do, you earn the accolade of your peers and developed the confidence to deal with the future. Success is exciting and addictive. Equally, don’t let failure get you down. Learn from what went wrong and make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes again.

3. Does the world need what you do? Are you an essential cog in the wheel? Are you proud to tell people at Barbeques what you do? Knowing that you provide an essential difference in people’s lives is a wonderful privilege.

4. Do people pay you to do what you do? Is what you do profitable? Money isn’t everything, but it does make life easier. It is also a huge motivator.

Ikigai is the result of a positive answer to these four questions. I’m lucky enough to have Ikigai in nearly all my work. I hugely enjoy the variety of work, the people I deal with, the challenges I face and the team I am building around me. Yes, we work for profit but I genuinely believe that if I didn’t need an income, I’d happily do what I do now for free.

As a manager, how do I make Ikigai a reality for my employees? As staff who are Ikigai are the motivated and passionate staff who provide the additional 18% efficiency and post-salary positives of being in a job they are suited for and enthused by and that provides me with a happy and motivated team.

Working to achieve Ikigai, in my experience, is essential. With the team I have around me, I don’t think we are far off achieving it.

DeafWatch™ have set out to change the culture of fire alarms for deaf people. For far too long, making sure that everyone is safe in every location has proven to be expensive. Rather than do the right thing, organisations have determined that the cost has been too high and have either done very little, nothing or introduced a system that is not fit for purpose.

Because our transmitter covers much greater distance than any other system in the market, we can cover much larger areas with fewer transmitters. We also sell them at a fair price. The DeafWatch™ transmitter provides ultimate surety with its signal and will repeatedly alert users the moment the standard fire alarm is raised by sending a guaranteed radio signal to their pager which is the sole requirement of the system, detailed in BS5839: 1 2017.

DeafWatch™ makes recommending a fire alarm system for the hard of hearing simple.

DeafWatch™ combines a best-in-class signal and outstanding specifications at a fair price, so your customer saves money without compromising on quality. And with an average service life of 10 years, its whole-of-life costs are exceptional value.

With DeafWatch™ you and your users can be confident that, in the event of a fire, they will be warned immediately and repeatedly. We have supplied successful systems to universities, colleges, schools, large retailers, office blocks, warehouses, police stations, hospitals, apartment blocks and Royal Mail.

DeafWatch™ uses a Technically Assigned Radio DeafWatch™ from Ofcom. This ensures exceptional power output and wide coverage within the specified area as well as the best available monitored signal security.

With universities and other public organisations seeking to save money wherever they can, we provide the best possible value. This enables you to do the right thing and not discriminate against your deaf and hearing-impaired users. Because we are also looking to create the perfect balance between safety and user friendliness, you can be certain that we put the well-being of your users and your peace of mind at a premium.

Of course, we not only provide savings at the point of sale, we also provide tailored maintenance contracts that are also much lower than those of our competitors. Often we can provide return on complete replacement within a couple of years of the purchase.

We are always happy to demonstrate that we can provide you net savings, possibly even if you already have a system installed. Please just give us a call on 07808 789098 or email us on sales@wasol.co.uk.

]]>https://wasol.co.uk/your-quotation-for-deafwatch-is-so-much-cheaper-than-your-competitors-there-must-be-something-amiss/feed/0Brave or foolish? Either way I’m looking forward to it.https://wasol.co.uk/brave-or-foolish-either-way-im-looking-forward-to-it/
https://wasol.co.uk/brave-or-foolish-either-way-im-looking-forward-to-it/#respondThu, 17 May 2018 11:46:27 +0000http://wasol.co.uk/?p=461In December 2014, friends of mine had just created Market Harborough’s first micro-pub and were looking for a big event to show the world what they were about. They decided upon a comedy night. One of them said to me: “Dave, you can be quite funny. Why don’t you have a go?” Rather stupidly, I […]

In December 2014, friends of mine had just created Market Harborough’s first micro-pub and were looking for a big event to show the world what they were about. They decided upon a comedy night.

One of them said to me: “Dave, you can be quite funny. Why don’t you have a go?” Rather stupidly, I agreed. With only a month to write five minutes’ material, it was quite an ask. Thankfully, I managed to scribble a few things down on paper.

Because I’m local to the venue, I achieved a full house, although most of the audience wanted me to full flat on my backside. With several talented comedians on before me, I began to get a little nervous and probably drank a few too many pints of pop. Fortunately, it seemed to go okay, one joke notwithstanding, and I felt fantastic while I was up there. Lisa, my adorable wife, who’d been incredibly supportive, told me she was really glad it was over. Apparently, I’d been a miserable git of seismic proportions while I was worrying before the performance.

In November 2016, I magically woke up with three or four jokes, which I quickly scribbled down on paper. When I woke up in the morning, I realised I had half an act’s worth of new material. I rang the boys at the pub and told them I would be ready to perform at the now monthly event in January.

This time, my wife was not quite so supportive. The tetchiness and worry were back, though worse, and this time they lasted twice as long. I’d chosen to work on the material with an accomplished writer, Joff Brown, so it was a lot more polished. With a much better script, I was much more confident before the night.

When the evening arrived, I felt very few nerves and hardly drank at all. But come performance time, I promptly forgot everything. I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell you my own name at that point. Luckily, I’d considered this possibility and brought some cue cards which, I was told later, was the funniest part of the act. Afterwards, Lisa pointed out that if she ever had to put up with that grumpy old sod again, divorce would be on the cards.

A good friend recently had a recurrence of cancer in his leg. Unfortunately, his only choice was to have it amputated at his pelvis. Seeing how brave and phlegmatic he was about what must have been a terrifying experience moved me incredibly; he even had a party to celebrate two days before the operation. Rather stupidly, I then volunteered to do another gig for his chosen charity McMillan.

Both Chris Durham and Dave Hall from Wireless Alert Solutions help coach Market Harborough Rugby Club’s U9s. Thanks to a chance Twitter conversation between Dave and Jess Breach, England women rugby’s newest star, Jess came to visit and help coach the children.

Breach, 20, who also plays for Harlequins Ladies, scored an incredible 11 tries in her first two international appearances and also became the first player ever to score 6 tries on their full England international debut when she faced Canada in the Old Mutual Wealth Series in November.

An offer to help coach Market Harborough’s young rugby players came about after a Twitter conversation she had with Dave, following the release of the news that she had decided to switch to the women’s sevens programme for the remainder of the 2017/18 season.

Dave said, “I expressed my surprise and disappointment that Jess, the newest and most exciting talent in women’s rugby had chosen to switch from the 15-a-side game to the 7’s and as a result would not be available to play in this year’s Six Nations”.

Jess messaged Dave privately and offering to visit the club and meet the children in her own time, during a break from her busy training & playing schedule, with the aim of coaching and inspiring the next generation of local players.

Dave continued “I was thrilled to take Jess up on her extremely kind offer. I thought this would be a fantastic way to showcase her talent, personality and provide an amazing opportunity for girls and boys to see her in action and encourage them to come and play our fantastic sport. She was a superstar, meeting with our girls’ teams and then helping to coach our mixed under 9s team, she delighted a lot of people with her warmth and encouragement. Ben Kay’s lad plays for us and when his commitments allow, Ben helps with our training. It was great for Jess to meet him too”.

Following the Old Mutual Wealth Series win, Jess was given an option by England Rugby to commit to the Women’s Sevens programme for the remainder of the 2017/18 season – one of the biggest in the history of the sport. Following discussions with family, close friends and her coBoth Chris Durham and Dave Hall from Wireless Alert Solutions help coach Market Harborough Rugby Club’s U9s. Thanks to a chance Twitter conversation between Dave and Jess Breach, England women rugby’s newest star, Jess came to visit and help coach the children.

Breach, 20, who also plays for Harlequins Ladies, scored an incredible 11 tries in her first two international appearances and also became the first player ever to score 6 tries on their full England international debut when she faced Canada in the Old Mutual Wealth Series in November.

This year offers some incredible opportunities to keep growing the women’s game and Jess hopes that her continued success, at just 20 years old, can be an inspiration for girls and boys in whatever sport they play and at all levels.

]]>https://wasol.co.uk/jess-breach-visits-market-harborough-rugby-club/feed/0Changing the Culturehttps://wasol.co.uk/changing-the-culture/
https://wasol.co.uk/changing-the-culture/#respondWed, 24 Jan 2018 12:21:55 +0000http://wasol.co.uk/?p=437Fire alarm systems for deaf students have a reputation for being extremely expensive. So it’s no surprise that many universities have little or no coverage. Those that do still have the worry of meeting high maintenance costs to ensure the safety of a small number of students. DeafWatch™ ends that culture of overcharging. […]

]]>Fire alarm systems for deaf students have a reputation for being extremely expensive. So it’s no surprise that many universities have little or no coverage. Those that do still have the worry of meeting high maintenance costs to ensure the safety of a small number of students.

DeafWatch ends that culture of overcharging.

Our system offers your university complete coverage, thanks to our superior signal strength, at an outstanding price, either by roll-out or in a single installation. This means your hearing-impaired users can rest easy in the knowledge they are as safe as anybody else in the event of a fire.

A number of universities have chosen to escape the high-cost culture by using DeafWatch. Our ever-expanding client list includes universities such as QMUL, Imperial College London and the Universities of Northampton, Birmingham and Worcester. Large office buildings, hospitals, shopping centres, schools, colleges and Royal Mail distribution warehouses.

All are giving their hearing-impaired staff and students reassurance in their own safety, wherever they are on the premises.

What’s more, our customers are astonished by just how much money we’ve saved them. Many have made instant savings by completely replacing their existing systems and reducing their maintenance costs, without compromising quality or safety.

DeafWatch™ and RefugeWatch™ were on display at the AUE conference at Trent University 6-8 September 2017. The conference was a huge success with considerable interest in the value and quality of DeafWatch™ in particular.

]]>https://wasol.co.uk/wireless-alert-solutions-at-the-association-of-university-engineers-conference-2017/feed/02 dead in Newgrange Care Home firehttps://wasol.co.uk/2-dead-newgrange-care-home-fire/
https://wasol.co.uk/2-dead-newgrange-care-home-fire/#respondThu, 13 Apr 2017 10:40:27 +0000http://wasol.co.uk/?p=406On Saturday 8 April, a “fierce fire” left two people dead. The fire started at 6am and destroyed Newgrange Care Home in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Unfortunately, two elderly women died in the blaze. Ivy Spriggs, aged 91 and Daphne Holloway aged 88. Hertfordshire County Council released a statement saying: “Firefighters were faced with an extremely fierce […]

Hertfordshire County Council released a statement saying: “Firefighters were faced with an extremely fierce fire, well-established in the first floor and the roof of the building, which has since collapsed. Sadly, we can confirm that two people died in the fire and we would like to offer our sympathies to their families.”

]]>https://wasol.co.uk/2-dead-newgrange-care-home-fire/feed/0Deaf participant reaches final six in Special Forces Ultimate Hell Week.https://wasol.co.uk/deaf-participant-reaches-final-six-special-forces-ultimate-hell-week/
https://wasol.co.uk/deaf-participant-reaches-final-six-special-forces-ultimate-hell-week/#commentsMon, 06 Mar 2017 16:07:22 +0000http://wasol.co.uk/?p=396You may have seen it, if you haven’t it’s certainly worth catching on the BBC iplayer. Twenty two incredibly fit individuals volunteered to be beasted by a succession of Special Force operatives with the sole purpose to create a winner, who best overcomes intensive training and tasks designed to weed out those who don’t have […]

]]>You may have seen it, if you haven’t it’s certainly worth catching on the BBC iplayer. Twenty two incredibly fit individuals volunteered to be beasted by a succession of Special Force operatives with the sole purpose to create a winner, who best overcomes intensive training and tasks designed to weed out those who don’t have what it takes.

John Durance, an engineer from Leicester, is profoundly deaf and was one of the participants. All the way through, he was consistently one of the top performers, despite being at a disadvantage to the others. Many of the tasks and assignments involved communication and although he is an accomplished lip reader, when your body is being tested to the limit and your sole source of ‘hearing’ is watching someone’s mouth, his deafness was a considerable obstacle. Other situations involved sensual depravity. Hoods over the head, performing in darkness meant that John had to overcome much more than the other contestants in order to compete on the same playing field, and boy did he compete.

John reached the final 6 contestants before the end of his journey and along with the others, the punishment he suffered was extraordinary and yet he came through everything that the operatives threw at him. Well done John Durance, you stated that you wanted to be an inspiration for everyone with a disability, you did that and much, much more.

]]>https://wasol.co.uk/deaf-participant-reaches-final-six-special-forces-ultimate-hell-week/feed/3Most children sleep through standard fire alarms, according to experts.https://wasol.co.uk/children-sleep-standard-fire-alarms-according-experts/
https://wasol.co.uk/children-sleep-standard-fire-alarms-according-experts/#respondMon, 27 Feb 2017 12:44:16 +0000http://wasol.co.uk/?p=392Researchers have discovered that children between the ages of 2 and 13 are not normally woken by fire alarms, putting their lives at risk. They have demonstrated that high-pitched buzzers should be replaced with lower tones combined with a woman’s voice. Over 500 volunteer families have been requested to throughout the UK to take part […]

]]>Researchers have discovered that children between the ages of 2 and 13 are not normally woken by fire alarms, putting their lives at risk.

They have demonstrated that high-pitched buzzers should be replaced with lower tones combined with a woman’s voice.

Over 500 volunteer families have been requested to throughout the UK to take part in a study testing new fire alarm sounds when initial research showed that over 80% of children aged between two and thirteen did not react to a standard alarm.

Dave Coss, a fire investigator and watch commander at Derbyshire fire and rescue service, who is carrying out the study with scientists at the University of Dundee, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The immediate thing we are saying to people is that if your alarms do go off then obviously, you need to go and fetch your children to make sure that they wake up.

“In the long term, what we are looking at here is a sound – and I think I need to stress the fact that it’s a sound and not a new detector – which we could have or could be adapted in the children’s bedroom so that if the smoke alarms do go off this sound would wake the children and give them those extra vital seconds to escape.”

Coss started researching after six children died in a Derby house fire started by their parents. Mick Philpott was jailed for life, convicted of manslaughter, and his wife Mairead was given a 17-year sentence. The youngsters, aged between five and 13, who died from the effects of smoke, were asleep upstairs when the blaze began at the house after midnight

Coss, who investigated the fire, said: “One of the problems we had to solve from an investigation point of view was why all the children were [found in] their beds, even though the smoke detector had sounded that time. Initially we thought that there might be other reasons. So obviously medical reasons were explored, toxicology tests were carried out, just to make sure there was nothing else, and the smoke alarm not waking them up was the only real solution that we could find.”

The suspicions were borne out by research Coss undertook with Professor Niamh NicDaeid, of Dundee’s centre for anatomy and human identification, which repeatedly exposed sleeping children to the sound of industry-standard smoke detectors inside their homes. More than 80% of the 34 children aged between two and 13 did not respond to the alarm. Only two children woke up every time and none of the 14 boys woke up at all.

“When we started to explore why this was happening and we looked at other types of frequencies of sound we found out that a lower frequency sound … combined with a voice – generally a female voice – was much more effective at waking children up, and in actual fact woke up 94% of children that we tested,” NicDaeid told Today.

The number of lives lost because of fire has fallen by half since home use of smoke alarms became widespread, and the researchers emphasised that smoke alarms remain a valuable part of protecting against the dangers of fire. But they hope that their research can lead to the development of new tones that will save even more lives.

NicDaeid said: “Most work in the area has been carried out using relatively small numbers of children and usually in sleep laboratories.” The researchers are now looking for 500 volunteer families with children between two and 16 to take part in the study.